opening speech by mr s iswaran, senior minister of state for trade ...

3 More significantly, there was broad-based growth acrosssectors. Shopping, accommodation, F&B, medical, sightseeingand entertainment all registered double-digit growth in touristexpenditure.4 Our suite of new and exciting tourism products includingthe Integrated Resorts, Formula One night race, Asia FashionExchange (AFX) and TravelRave have also raised ourinternational profile. I am pleased to note that in the Travel andTourism Competitiveness Report released by the WorldEconomic Forum 1 recently, Singapore emerged top in the Asia-Pacific region, and was ranked 10 th out of 139 world economiesfor competitiveness of the tourism sector.Our Long-term Challenges5 Our achievements would not have been possible if not forthe collective effort of the industry, our tourism workforce andgovernment agencies. We can build on this momentum only ifwe squarely face, and take proactive steps to deal with, thelong-term challenges posed by a competitive regionallandscape and the constraints on our growth. First, many ofour regional competitors are aggressively building new tourismcapabilities and investing in theme parks, eco-tourism sites,1 World Economic Forum, Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report 2011:http://www.weforum.org/issues/travel-and-tourism-competitiveness/

Jewel Cable Car Ride is an excellent example. After a $36million upgrade, it re-opened in Jul 2010. The cabins are nowlarger with panoramic views and enhanced accessibility. Forthose seeking something more, there is also the 7-star VIPjewelled cabin with Swarovski crystal elements.Integration9 The second thrust of our strategy has to be integration.The tourism industry is one of the most diverse in Singapore,with offerings from hotels, travel agents, attraction owners andMICE service providers. With more visitors expecting a hasslefreeone-stop service, it is important that we integrate ourproducts and services to enhance the visitor experience and topromote cross-selling.10 The collaboration between Suntec and Resorts WorldSentosa is a good illustration. This partnership allows clients toconduct their exhibitions and day meetings within the centralbusiness district at Marina Bay, and continue with socialfunctions at Resorts World Sentosa. This arrangement givesbusiness visitors a more diverse and attractive range of venueoptions. Such alliances strengthen our value proposition inattracting companies to host events in Singapore.

11 Out attractions have adopted a similar collaborativemodel. The “See Singapore Attractions Pass”, launched inDecember last year, offers unlimited visits to 20 attractionsincluding the Singapore Flyer, Night Safari and Singapore RiverCruise. The pass holder can also enjoy discounts and otherperks at participating restaurants. Taking this a step further,the “Go Singapore Pass” created by Ez-link and other majorattractions facilitates both entry into attractions, and transportaround Singapore.Productivity12 The final thrust in our strategy is to enhance ourproductivity, and consequently our competitiveness. We haveto promote productivity at all levels - the sector, the enterprise,and the individual. Indeed, productivity will be a point of focusfor the hospitality sector this year. Working with the industry,the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) and the Singapore HotelAssociation (SHA) have formulated a hotel productivity planwhich will be rolled out later this year. The plan will includeworking with hotels to increase customer satisfaction,operational efficiency and productivity in the organisation. Theformulation of such productivity plans will be extended to othertourism-related sectors in the near future.

16 Singapore is well-placed to tap this growth. Withinnovative ideas, an integrated approach within the industryand greater productivity, we can ride on Asia’s momentum andposition ourselves for the next phase of growth. A pipeline ofexciting projects such as Gardens by the Bay, River Safari,International Cruise Terminal and the National Art Gallery willcome on-stream over the next few years. Supported by ourinvestments in software to enhance productivity and quality, weshould be on track to achieve STB’s forecast of between 12 to13 million visitor arrivals and S$22 to S$24 billion in tourismreceipts in 2011.Conclusion17 I urge all of you in the industry to continue working withthe STB in forging creative partnerships, solutions andprocesses that will bring more value for our visitors and yourcompanies. I wish you a fruitful and productive conference.